Manchester United could secure Aurelien Tchouameni in January for a cheaper price than West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
It is no secret that the club are desperate to secure that defensive midfielder as Nemanja Matic approaches the end of his career.
The other options, Scott McTominay and Fred, seem to prefer a more attacking role and can’t get used to the defensive positioning that comes naturally to players like Matic.
The club has so far been spectacularly unsuccessful in its search for an heir for the Serb, with countless rumours of potential signings coming and going.
The top two targets are reported to be Premier League proven midfielders, Kalvin Phillips and Rice, but talks are yet to be confirmed.
According to the Express, Tchouameni could become available in January for a cheaper price than Rice who is estimated to cost over £100m.
The defensive midfielder is just 21 years old and suits Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side perfectly.
He already has five caps for the French national side and plays regularly for Ligue 1 side Monaco.
The young Frenchman has already been approached by the media about the latest interest surrounding him with other top European clubs being linked with him as well.
“It’s flattering, but I don’t wake up in the morning thinking about it,” he told L’Equipe.
“When I started in Bordeaux, the media were already wondering every summer if Aurelien Tchouameni was going to move to a bigger club.”
“In 2018, they were already talking about Juventus or Milan.”
A cheaper option seems to be much more plausible for Solskjaer after spending over £100m on Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.
The outlet then goes on to explain that Monaco have set an asking price of around €45-50m (£38.4-£42.7m).
This seems like a much more attractive price tag for the Red Devils given that the player isn’t proven in the Premier League. It wouldn’t be a huge risk to take on.
Multiple sources are also claiming that Rice’s asking price may have increased further since the summer, making it virtually impossible to sign him.
United fans will be excited to see such a young and talented midfielder as Tchouameni linked with the club and will hope that a January move for the player might be possible.